“they did not believe me” responding to child sexual abuse by church personnel in australia
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“They did not believe me” Responding to Child Sexual Abuse by Church Personnel in Australia. Dr Jodi Death School of Justice, Queensland University of Technology Crime and Justice Research Centre http://www.cjrc.qut.edu.au/ . The Context. International issue - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
“They did not believe me” Responding to Child Sexual Abuse by Church Personnel in AustraliaDr Jodi DeathSchool of Justice, Queensland University of TechnologyCrime and Justice Research Centrehttp://www.cjrc.qut.edu.au/
The Context International issue
Sustained waves of disclosure 1980’s, 1990’s, 2000’s
Continued Civil and Criminal prosecution
Call for a Royal Commission in Australia into child abuse in Religious Institutions Sustained lobbying by survivors and the Greens
(Political Party) Parliamentary Inquiry in Victoria concluded –
report forthcoming Royal Commission announced 12 November 2012
This Study Seeking to hear directly from Australian survivors about their
perspectives including: Age of onset Nature of Abuse Duration Disclosure
To whom When Response
Outcomes
Online survey 81 respondents 49% male 51% female
Qualitative Interviews 15 Participants
Denomination
65%* (n = 39) Roman Catholic13% (n=8) Anglican22% (n=10) Other
*NB: Applies to single abuser only 73% (n=61) single abuser only 27% (n=20) multiple abuser (up to 4)
Age Onset of Abuse
3-5
6-10
11-13
14-17
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
2%
44%
36%
19%
Year of Onset
Before 1950
1951 - 1955
1956 - 1960
1961 - 1965
1966 - 1970
1971 - 1975
1976 - 1980
1981 - 1985
1986 - 1990
1991 - 1994
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
5%
8%
3%
18%
15%
13%
10%
15%
7%
5%
Duration of abuse
0- 11 months
1 -2 years
3 – 4 years
4 – 5 years
5 – 6 years
6 -7 years
8 – 9 years
More than 10 years
0 5 10 15 20 25
36%
29%
22%
3%
3%
2%
3%
2%
Frequency of Abuse
Single incident only
Occurred regularly
Frequent incidents over a short period of time
Frequent incidents over a long period of time
Occasional incidents over a long period of time
Daily over a long period of time
Weekly over a long period of time
Other
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
1
12%
17%
21%
16%
0
10%
7%
Nature of Abuse – penetrative acts (n=59)
Anal penetration with a finger
Anal penetration with an object
Anal penetration with their penis
Vaginal penetration with a finger
Vaginal penetration with an object
Vaginal penetration with their penis
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
12%
2%
19%
24%
7%
5%
Nature of Abuse – other acts (n=59)
They made me perform oral sex on them
They performed oral sex on me
They made me masturbate in front of them
They made me masturbate them
They masturbated in front of me
I was made to perform sexual acts with a peer
I was photographed in sexual positions
Other
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
22%
19%
8%
29%
20%
5%
5%
8%
Nature of Abuse – other acts (n=59)
Kissing on the mouth
Watching pornography together
They touched my breasts outside of my clothing
They touched my breasts inside of my clothing
They touched my genitals outside of my clothing
They touched my genitals inside of my clothing
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
24%
10%
22%
22%
47%
71%
Disclosure – at time of abuseAt the time the abuse was occurring 58%
(n=33) participants believed someone else knew the abuse was occurring. Why?
I told them about the sexual abuse
They witnessed the sexual abuse taking place
Another person told them about the sexual abuse
Other
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
33%
19%
4%
44%
Why did you believe someone else knew - other “Incidents took place in his bedroom in monestary with
others knowing I was alone with him with the door shut. They never spoke to me “
“Brother was removed to another school” “they witnessed and masturbated while they watched “ “One adult witnessed it, another was told about it by
several parents” “ because the priest (abuser) told them” “I quite obviously hated him, and would avoid him at
our house “
Family Context of Disclosure “My parents were grieving for a man who had
sexually abused 3 of their children. To the day he died and 3 days later they still believed in him and trusted him with all their being. They had welcomed him into our home as a Christian Brother, a teacher/tutor and befriended him personally only to have it thrown in their faces. I was disgusted and angry to see them so upset and to hear that my father had confirmed he would carry his coffin. I was so angry, I could not keep quiet any longer, he was dead and I was an adult, I had to say something, I wasn’t going to let him betray my father and keep me silenced from the grave.”
Cost of silence“Yeah - this person died not long after the
abuse stopped - a couple of years - I felt responsible and guilty and was unravelling in my life as a wife and a mother - my own daughter got into an abusive relationship at a very young age and became pregnant and had a child at 16 - I knew during this time that I had my own work to do here as the cost of not doing it was too great for myself and for my offspring”
Official Reporting70% (n=44) had reported their abuse officially
Local priest
Local pastor
Other Priest or Pastor
Diocese
Head of order
Towards Healing
Anglican Professional Standards Board
Child Protection representative in Church or School
Police
School representative
Other Church representative
Other
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
9%
6%
0
14%
3%
29%
6%
6%
54%
3%
20%
17%
Strongest reasons for reporting:1. The protection of children2. The Church to accept responsibility for the abuse3. The individual to accept responsibility for the abuse4. My story to be heard by the Church5. The individual to be removed from their position6. Counseling for myself7. Church investigation8. Police Investigation9. Criminal conviction10. Counseling for myself
Very Dissatisfied
Dissatisfied
Somewhat Dissatisfied
Neutral
Somewhat Satisfied
Satisfied
Very Satisfied
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
How satisfied are you with the assistance offered by the religious organisation where the sexual
abuse took place?
Very Dissatisfied
Dissatisfied
Somewhat Dissatisfied
Neutral
Somewhat Satisfied
Satisfied
Very Satisfied
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
How satisfied are you that the religious organi-sation has heard your story?
Very Dissatisfied
Dissatisfied
Somewhat Dissatisfied
Neutral
Somewhat Satisfied
Satisfied
Very Satisfied
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
How satisfied are you that the religious organi-sation has been truthful in their response to
you?
Very Dissatisfied
Dissatisfied
Somewhat Dissatisfied
Neutral
Somewhat Satisfied
Satisfied
Very Satisfied
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
How satisfied are you with any financial set-tlement received from the religious organisa-
tion where the sexual abuse took place?
Very Dissatisfied
Dissatisfied
Somewhat Dissatisfied
Neutral
Somewhat Satisfied
Satisfied
Very Satisfied
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
How satisfied are you with the counseling offered by the religious organisation where the sexual
abuse took place?
Official outcomes Moved to another state (n=7) Removed from duties (n=11)
Status unchanged
Defrocked (n=5) Deceased (n=9) Suicide (n=1) Criminal Justice Responses (n=24)
Police investigation Prosecution
Conviction No conviction
Overall…The story is not all badParticipants do report re-victimisation and re-
traumatisation through reporting processes within Churches
Participants more satisfied with Police responses, regardless of outcome, than Church responses